The general public should have a better understanding of the Central Intelligence Agency, former CIA officers said.’ ‘
Former intelligence officers Arthur Hulnick and Joseph Wippl spoke about their experiences as members of the CIA to an audience of 25 attendees on Wednesday in Metcalf Hall.’ ‘ ‘
The lecture, moderated by College of Communication professor John Carroll, was part of a series presented by the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, intended to give students an opportunity to speak with Boston University faculty members about a wide range of topics.’
Hulnick, an international relations professor, said having an understanding of intelligence organizations is as equally important as having an understanding of government.
‘I think students should be interested in intelligence because it’s a significant function in government,’ he said. ‘All governments have intelligence organizations.” ‘ ‘
Hulnick said he was a CIA analyst from 1965 to 1992 after serving in the Air Force.
Wippl, also an international relations professor, said he joined the CIA in 1972 and worked overseas in locations ranging from Luxembourg to Mexico City to Madrid.’ ‘
After the Cold War drew to a close in the early 1990s, the CIA scaled back substantially because people felt that there was no longer any need for intelligence, Hulnick said.’ ‘
This opinion, however, was proven false, especially with the attacks on 9/11, he said.’
‘This was a big mistake in my opinion,’ Hulnick said.’ ‘It’s pretty clear now that [the CIA is] not going to cut back.’ There’s too much going on now.” ‘
Wippl and Hulnick said the CIA was slightly used as a scapegoat for 9/11.’
‘Congress was looking around for somebody to blame,’ Hulnick said. ‘And it’s easy to blame the intelligence system because it’s very hard for the intelligence system to defend itself.” ‘ ‘
The media feeds the public’s negative view of the CIA, Wippl said. For example, students at Middlebury College used a fictional film regarding the CIA’s involvement in President Kennedy’s death as motivation to protest the CIA recruiters who were visiting campus.’ ‘ ‘
Wippl said movies such as ‘Breach’ and ‘Charlie Wilson’s War’ most accurately depict CIA agents.’ ‘ ‘ ‘
‘The worst movie is ‘The Good Shepherd,” he said.’ ‘If I was married to someone as morose as Matt Damon I think that I’d jump out of that new dormitory over here. And I think that Angelina Jolie has got about a ton of Botox in her lips.” ‘
Graduate of Arts and Sciences student Jeremy Weiss said hearing about the day-to-day activities of CIA officers was a very interesting.
‘It’s unusual that you get to hear it straight from the people who were involved,’ he said.’